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Method for realizing multi-pictureMethod for realizing multi-picture description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060209206, Method for realizing multi-picture. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to multimedia videoconferencing techniques, in particularly to a method for realizing multi-picture. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] A video conference usually involves multiple parties. In the past, only the picture of one of the rest parties in the video conference could be seen by the local party because multi-picture technique was unavailable, which degraded intuitiveness of the video conference to a certain extent and made any party in the video conference feel that the communication with all other parties was not face-to-face. Therefore, it is very important to implement multi-picture technique that enables display of pictures of multiple parties on a display screen, in order to improve the performance of videoconferencing and meet the users' demand. [0003] In the prior art, the multi-picture transmission solution usually includes either of the following two methods: [0004] Method 1: First, the Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) decodes video bitstreams from each terminals to obtain the corresponding multiple channels of decoded pictures; second, the decoded pictures are scaled to appropriate sizes and combined together; next, the combined picture is encoded and the resulting bitstream is transmitted to a terminal; finally, the terminal decodes the combined picture bitstream and the decoded pictures are the multi pictures. [0005] Method 2: The MCU performs multiplexed transmission of the multiple channels of video bitstreams on the basis of Continuous Presence Multipoint and Video Multiplex (CPM), which is a multi-picture solution proposed by H.263 Standard. In this method, each of the sub-bitstreams encoded by the respective terminals involved in multi-picture combination is assigned with a unique indicator, which is abbreviated as "SBI" (Sub-Bitstream Indicator) used to distinguish between sub-bitstreams, and inserted into the picture header or the header of Group of Blocks (GOB) of the sub-bitstream. [0006] In the second method, the MCU does not decode the video sub-bitstreams; instead, it only combines the sub-bitstreams in units of GOBs or frames to form a multi-channel composite bitstream; when receiving the multi-channel composite bitstream, the terminals distinguish between the respective channels of sub-bitstreams in the composite bitstream according to the SBIs in the picture headers or the GOB headers and then decode the channels of sub-bitstreams respectively, and finally display the pictures decoded from the sub-bitstreams in combination, thus to obtain the multi-picture. [0007] However, the above methods in the prior have many drawbacks as follows: [0008] Though the first method can implement combination of multiple sub-pictures, it is highly costly and consumes resources e.g. operation capability and memory severely at the MCU side. Though the second method costs less, the SBI can only represent four different values for a binary algorithm, as said SBI only consists of two bits as specified in syntax of H.263; therefore, the second method can only supports a combination of four channels of bitstreams at the most, i.e., a combination of four sub-pictures. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] The present invention provides a method of realizing multi-picture, so as to overcome the challenge of implementing multi-picture for more than four channels at a low cost in the prior art. [0010] To solve the above problem, the present invention provides a technical proposal as follows: [0011] A method of realizing multi-picture, comprising the following steps: [0012] A. the MCU creates an indicator containing multi-picture information for each of the terminals and sends the indicator to each of the terminals; [0013] B. each of the terminals receives the indicator, encodes a source picture depending on the information in the multi-picture information indicator, and inserts said multi-picture information indicator into a sub-bitstream and transmits the sub-bitstream to the MCU; [0014] C. when receiving the sub-bitstreams from the respective terminals, the MCU combines the sub-bitstreams into a composite bitstream and sends the composite bitstream to a display terminal; [0015] D. the display terminal receives the composite bitstream, extracts the respective sub-bitstreams from the composite bitstream, decodes the sub-bitstreams depending on the multi-picture information indicator of the sub-bitstreams, and combines the decoded sub-pictures into a multi-picture output. [0016] Wherein said indicator refers to an Extended Sub-Bitstream Indicator (ESBI) containing information of multi-picture mode, positions, dimensions, and formats of the sub-pictures. [0017] More specifically, the inserting of the multi-picture information indicator into the sub-bitstream in said step B refers to that: when the MCU combines the sub-bitstreams in units of frames, the multi-picture information indicator is inserted into the picture header of the sub-bitstream; when the MCU combines the sub-bitstreams in units of GOBs, the multi-picture information indicator is inserted into both the picture header and the GOB header of the sub-bitstream; when the MCU combines the sub-bitstreams in units of Slices, the multi-picture information indicator is inserted into both the picture header and the Slice header of the sub-bitstream. [0018] Specifically, the encoding of the source picture depending on the information in the multi-picture information indicator in said step B refers to that: the source picture is encoded depending on the sub-picture dimension and format information contained in the multi-picture information indicator. [0019] More specifically, the combining into the composite bitstream in said step C refers to combining into the composite bitstream in units of frames, GOBs or Slices. [0020] More specifically, the extracting of the sub-bitstreams in said step D refers to extracting the respective sub-bitstreams in units of frames, GOBs or Slices. [0021] More specifically, the dependence on the multi-picture information indicator of the respective sub-bitstreams in said step D refers to that: when the MCU combines the sub-bitstreams in units of frames, it is depending on the multi-picture information indicators in the picture headers of the sub-bitstreams; when the MCU combines the sub-bitstreams in units of GOBs, it is depending on the multi-picture information indicators in the picture headers and the GOB headers of the sub-bitstreams; when the MCU combines the sub-bitstreams in units of Slices, it is depending on the multi-picture information indicators in the picture headers and the Slice headers of the sub-bitstreams. Continue reading about Method for realizing multi-picture... 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